Neymar (33, Santos), whose dream of returning to the national team has been dashed, said, "I decided not to push it."

The Brazil Football Association (CBF) announced on the 15th (Korean time) that "Neymar has been excluded from the roster for the South American qualifiers for the 2026 North and Central American World Cup due to injury." Brazil will face Colombia in a home game on the 21st and Argentina in an away game on the 26th.

Neymar underwent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery after injuring his knee in a match against Uruguay last October. After preparing for his return to the national team for 17 months, he has missed another opportunity due to a left thigh muscle injury sustained in a recent match with his club team. Immediately after his injury, he drew controversy by sharing on his social media account a photo of himself watching the samba parade in Rio de Janeiro with his partner.

Neymar has put everything on the line to aim for World Cup participation. In August 2023, he transferred to Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia for a salary of $150 million (approximately 226.3 billion won) but chose to forgo 99% of his salary to return to his former team, Santos, last month. He recorded three goals and three assists in seven games in Brazil's top league, boosting his match fitness. The Brazil Football Association acknowledged his determination and included him in the squad announced on the 6th. However, he fell victim to injury at the threshold of selection.

Brazil national team coach Dorival Junior selected Endrick (18, Real Madrid) as a replacement to fill Neymar's void. Endrick has played in 28 official matches for Real Madrid this season, scoring six goals. He has scored three goals in 13 appearances for the Brazil national team.

In addition to Neymar, there have been changes to the national team roster. Goalkeeper Ederson (30, Manchester City) and defender Danilo (32, Juventus) have also been excluded due to injury. Coach Junior selected Lucas Paquetá (26, Olympique Lyon) and Alex Sandro (33, Flamengo) as their replacements.

Neymar has recorded 79 goals in 128 A matches for the Brazil national team, making him the all-time leading scorer. However, due to frequent injuries, he has been unable to perform at his best for the national team.

Neymar stated through his social media account, "(The national team) return seemed close, but unfortunately, I can no longer wear the heaviest jersey in the world." He noted, "We had a long conversation, and everyone knows I wanted to come back. However, we decided not to push it. I believed it was best to prepare better to fully recover from my injury. I thank everyone who sent me messages."

[Photo] ⓒGettyimages (Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited)

[OSEN = Reporter No Jin-joo]